Post-oeeice distributing-table



FNT @rlFlQE C. H. BRADLEY, 0F WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

POSTOFICE DISTRIBTING-TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,748, dated July 9, 1861.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that t, C. H. BRADLEY, of lVest Chester, in the county oit'Chester and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulPost-@Hice Disti'ibuting-'lableg and I dohereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecication, in which-.

Figure l, is a top view of the improved table, a portion ot' the top ofwhich is broken away to show the receiving boxes. Fig. 2, is alongitudinal section through Fig. l, in the vertical plane indicated bythe red line m, rc, thereon.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

This invention is intended for facilitating the distribution ot mailmattei', in postotlices.

lt consists in arranging in a semi-circular torni a number' of chutes ortubes, inclining outward` and downward, from the top of a table towardthe bottoni thereo't; and in combining with these inclined tubes arevolving table,--ha ving large boxes on it corresponding in number tothe number of inclined tubes used,arranged horizontally under the tubes,for receiving the mail matter which is passed through these tubeswall aswill be hereinafter fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

ln Vthe zu'coinpanying drawings, A, represents a table mounted on fourlegs which are ot a suitable height to allow a person to stand and workat the table with comfort.

l, represents a ledge which projects up from both sides and forms theback edge of the table top.

The table ji, may be made round or quadrangulaii` and it this table ismade very large the trout edge thereof may be curved inward so that aperson standing at it may be able to reach every part of it.

C, C, C, are tubes or chutes, twenty-six in number, which are passedthrough a semicircular opening made through the table top and arrangedside by side. These tubes C, C, are made large enough to receive anyordinary sized package of mail matter, and they arc all of an equallength, these tubes are arranged so as to touch each other at theirupper ends and at their lower ends they are separated some distanceapart. The tr. ies C, C, C, also incline outward from the top ot' thetable and their lower ends are concentric with a common center, orvertical axis a, represented in Figs. l, and 2, ot the drawings.

Surrounding the outer edges of the upper ends of the tribes C, C, is a`semi-circular flange b, having printed, stamped, or engraved on itsupper surface the letters ot the alphabet; these letters are arranged sothat every tube is known by its letter, and every letter is visible to aperson standing in front ot the table. The lower ends of the tubes C, C,are cut so that when they are arranged as described, they will all be ina horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings.

The vertical axis o, has its upper end bearing in a plate c, secured tothe top or" the table A and the lower end oi' this axis a, is stepped ina transverse bar D, extending horizontally across the bottoni of tableA. To the vertical axis a., a large semi-circular table or shelt tir, issecured in a horizontal plane, and on top of table G, twenty-six oblongboxes g, g, g, are arranged, all of which radiate from the center a, otthe table. These boxes g, g, g, are intended for receiving the mailmatter passed through the chutes, or tubes C, C, C, and for this pui'-pose when the table Gr, is in the position represented in Figs. l,and-2, there will be a box, g, under each tube C. The boxes g, arelettered correspondingly to their re spective tubes C, and a letterdropped into D tube will fall into D box-into F, tube will tall into Fbox, and so on through the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. The tableGr, is kept in its place when under the table A, by means ot two buttonse, c, shown in Figs. l and 2, which buttons are raised up when it isdesired to move the table G, out from under the table A, for obtainingaccess to the boxes g, g. The semi-circular table Gr, is supportedunderneath by an inverted conical collar H, which is secured rigidly tothe axis a, and to this conical collar the table Gr, is secured.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The mail matter isproniiscuously emptied on the top of table A, between the I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is Combining with thedistributing tubes C, C, C, 0n table A, the semi-circular table G, andreceiving boxes g, g, g, arranged and operating substantially as hereindescribed and shown.

C. H. BRADLEY.

lVtnesses GEORGE lV. HAWLEY, WVM. lVI-IITEHEAD.

